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Mitra S, Tati V, Basu S, Shukla S. Role of Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Conditioned Medium in Modulating the Benzalkonium Chloride-Induced Cytotoxic Effects in Cultured Corneal Epithelial Cells In Vitro. Curr Eye Res 2024:1-11. [PMID: 38646923 DOI: 10.1080/02713683.2024.2342355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Benzalkonium chloride (BAK) is a common preservative in ophthalmic formulations that causes cytotoxic damage to the corneal epithelial cells. This study aims to explore the role of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-derived conditioned medium in modulating the BAK-induced cytotoxic effects in cultured human corneal epithelial cells (HCECs) as a cell-free therapeutic agent. METHODS The in vitro cultured HCECs derived from a HCE cell line were treated with BAK (0.001% and 0.005%, diluted in DMEM/F12, v/v) for 15 min, washed with 1xPBS, and allowed to recover for 24 h in human bone marrow MSC-derived conditioned medium (MSC-CM: undiluted (100%) and diluted (50%, v/v)). On the other hand, HCECs were co-incubated with BAK (0.005%, v/v) and MSC-CM (100% and 50%, v/v) for 24 h. The HCEC-derived conditioned medium (HCE-CM) was used as an optimal control for MSC-CM, whereas HCECs cultured in DMEM/F12 were used as a control. The DMEM/F12 was used as the base medium for the culture of HCECs and preparation of HCE- and MSC-CM. The role of MSC-CM in modulating the metabolic activity, cell death, epithelial repair, and proliferation, in BAK-treated HCECs was evaluated using MTT assay, Propidium iodide staining, scratch assay, and Ki-67 staining, respectively. RESULTS Compared to the control, recovery of BAK-treated (0.001% and 0.005%, for 15 min) HCECs in MSC-CM showed significantly reduced cell death with enhanced metabolic activity, epithelial repair, and proliferation. However, in comparison with HCE-CM, the beneficial effects of MSC-CM were predominantly observed at lower BAK concentration (0.001%, for 15 min). Whereas the co-incubation of BAK (0.005%) and MSC-CM for a longer duration (24 h) was marginally beneficial. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that the MSC-CM is effective in modulating the BAK-induced cell death, retardation of metabolic activity and proliferation in cultured HCECs, particularly at lower concentration (0.001%) and shorter exposure (15 min) of BAK.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sreya Mitra
- Prof. Brien Holden Eye Research Centre, Hyderabad Eye Research Foundation, L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| | - Vasudeva Tati
- Prof. Brien Holden Eye Research Centre, Hyderabad Eye Research Foundation, L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| | - Sayan Basu
- Prof. Brien Holden Eye Research Centre, Hyderabad Eye Research Foundation, L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
- Shantilal Shanghvi Cornea Institute, L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
- Sudhakar and Sreekanth Ravi Stem Cell Biology Laboratory, Centre for Ocular Regeneration, L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| | - Sachin Shukla
- Prof. Brien Holden Eye Research Centre, Hyderabad Eye Research Foundation, L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
- Sudhakar and Sreekanth Ravi Stem Cell Biology Laboratory, Centre for Ocular Regeneration, L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
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An S, Anwar K, Ashraf M, Han KY, Djalilian AR. Chlorine-Induced Toxicity on Murine Cornea: Exploring the Potential Therapeutic Role of Antioxidants. Cells 2024; 13:458. [PMID: 38474422 PMCID: PMC10930774 DOI: 10.3390/cells13050458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/03/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Chlorine (Cl2) exposure poses a significant risk to ocular health, with the cornea being particularly susceptible to its corrosive effects. Antioxidants, known for their ability to neutralize reactive oxygen species (ROS) and alleviate oxidative stress, were explored as potential therapeutic agents to counteract chlorine-induced damage. In vitro experiments using human corneal epithelial cells showed decreased cell viability by chlorine-induced ROS production, which was reversed by antioxidant incubation. The mitochondrial membrane potential decreased due to both low and high doses of Cl2 exposure; however, it was recovered through antioxidants. The wound scratch assay showed that antioxidants mitigated impaired wound healing after Cl2 exposure. In vivo and ex vivo, after Cl2 exposure, increased corneal fluorescein staining indicates damaged corneal epithelial and stromal layers of mice cornea. Likewise, Cl2 exposure in human ex vivo corneas led to corneal injury characterized by epithelial fluorescein staining and epithelial erosion. However, antioxidants protected Cl2-induced damage. These results highlight the effects of Cl2 on corneal cells using in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo models while also underscoring the potential of antioxidants, such as vitamin A, vitamin C, resveratrol, and melatonin, as protective agents against acute chlorine toxicity-induced corneal injury. Further investigation is needed to confirm the antioxidants' capacity to alleviate oxidative stress and enhance the corneal healing process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seungwon An
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA; (K.A.); (M.A.); (K.-Y.H.)
- Clinical Stem Cell Laboratory, UI Blood & Marrow Transplant Program, University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Khandaker Anwar
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA; (K.A.); (M.A.); (K.-Y.H.)
| | - Mohammadjavad Ashraf
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA; (K.A.); (M.A.); (K.-Y.H.)
- Department of Pathology, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz 71348-14336, Iran
| | - Kyu-Yeon Han
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA; (K.A.); (M.A.); (K.-Y.H.)
| | - Ali R. Djalilian
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA; (K.A.); (M.A.); (K.-Y.H.)
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Basu SK, Prislovsky A, Lenchik N, Stephenson DJ, Agarwal R, Chalfant CE, Mandal N. Mouse Model of Nitrogen Mustard Ocular Surface Injury Characterization and Sphingolipid Signaling. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:742. [PMID: 38255815 PMCID: PMC10815872 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25020742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Revised: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Vesicating chemicals like sulfur mustard (SM) or nitrogen mustard (NM) can cause devastating damage to the eyes, skin, and lungs. Eyes, being the most sensitive, have complicated pathologies that can manifest immediately after exposure (acute) and last for years (chronic). No FDA-approved drug is available to be used as medical counter measures (MCMs) against such injuries. Understanding the pathological mechanisms in acute and chronic response of the eye is essential for developing effective MCMs. Here, we report the clinical and histopathological characterization of a mouse model of NM-induced ocular surface injury (entire surface) developed by treating the eye with 2% (w/v) NM solution for 5 min. Unlike the existing models of specific injury, our model showed severe ocular inflammation, including the eyelids, structural deformity of the corneal epithelium and stroma, and diminished visual and retinal functions. We also observed alterations of the inflammatory markers and their expression at different phases of the injury, along with an activation of acidic sphingomyelinase (aSMase), causing an increase in bioactive sphingolipid ceramide and a reduction in sphingomyelin levels. This novel ocular surface mouse model recapitulated the injuries reported in human, rabbit, and murine SM or NM injury models. NM exposure of the entire ocular surface in mice, which is similar to accidental or deliberate exposure in humans, showed severe ocular inflammation and caused irreversible alterations to the corneal structure and significant vision loss. It also showed an intricate interplay between inflammatory markers over the injury period and alteration in sphingolipid homeostasis in the early acute phase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandip K. Basu
- Department of Ophthalmology, The University of Health Science Centre, Memphis, TN 38163, USA; (S.K.B.); (A.P.); (N.L.)
| | - Amanda Prislovsky
- Department of Ophthalmology, The University of Health Science Centre, Memphis, TN 38163, USA; (S.K.B.); (A.P.); (N.L.)
- Memphis VA Medical Center, Memphis, TN 38104, USA
| | - Nataliya Lenchik
- Department of Ophthalmology, The University of Health Science Centre, Memphis, TN 38163, USA; (S.K.B.); (A.P.); (N.L.)
| | - Daniel J. Stephenson
- Departments of Medicine and Cell Biology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA; (D.J.S.); (C.E.C.)
| | - Rajesh Agarwal
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA;
| | - Charles E. Chalfant
- Departments of Medicine and Cell Biology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA; (D.J.S.); (C.E.C.)
- Research Service, Richmond Veterans Administration Medical Center, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
| | - Nawajes Mandal
- Department of Ophthalmology, The University of Health Science Centre, Memphis, TN 38163, USA; (S.K.B.); (A.P.); (N.L.)
- Memphis VA Medical Center, Memphis, TN 38104, USA
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, The University of Health Science Centre, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
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Soleimani M, Mirzaei A, Cheraqpour K, Baharnoori SM, Arabpour Z, Ashraf MJ, Ghassemi M, Djalilian AR. The Potential of Mesenchymal Stem/Stromal Cell Therapy in Mustard Keratopathy: Discovering New Roads to Combat Cellular Senescence. Cells 2023; 12:2744. [PMID: 38067171 PMCID: PMC10705954 DOI: 10.3390/cells12232744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2023] [Revised: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) are considered a valuable option to treat ocular surface disorders such as mustard keratopathy (MK). MK often leads to vision impairment due to corneal opacification and neovascularization and cellular senescence seems to have a role in its pathophysiology. Herein, we utilized intrastromal MSC injections to treat MK. Thirty-two mice were divided into four groups based on the exposure to 20 mM or 40 mM concentrations of mustard and receiving the treatment or not. Mice were clinically and histopathologically examined. Histopathological evaluations were completed after the euthanasia of mice after four months and included hematoxylin and eosin (H&E), CK12, and beta-galactosidase (β-gal) staining. The treatment group demonstrated reduced opacity compared to the control group. While corneal neovascularization did not display significant variations between the groups, the control group did register higher numerical values. Histopathologically, reduced CK12 staining was detected in the control group. Additionally, β-gal staining areas were notably lower in the treatment group. Although the treated groups showed lower severity of fibrosis compared to the control groups, statistical difference was not significant. In conclusion, it seems that delivery of MSCs in MK has exhibited promising therapeutic results, notably in reducing corneal opacity. Furthermore, the significant reduction in the β-galactosidase staining area may point towards the promising anti-senescence potential of MSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Soleimani
- Eye Research Center, Farabi Eye Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1336616351, Iran; (M.S.); (A.M.); (K.C.)
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL 60612, USA; (S.M.B.); (Z.A.); (M.J.A.); (M.G.)
| | - Arash Mirzaei
- Eye Research Center, Farabi Eye Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1336616351, Iran; (M.S.); (A.M.); (K.C.)
| | - Kasra Cheraqpour
- Eye Research Center, Farabi Eye Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1336616351, Iran; (M.S.); (A.M.); (K.C.)
| | - Seyed Mahbod Baharnoori
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL 60612, USA; (S.M.B.); (Z.A.); (M.J.A.); (M.G.)
| | - Zohreh Arabpour
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL 60612, USA; (S.M.B.); (Z.A.); (M.J.A.); (M.G.)
| | - Mohammad Javad Ashraf
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL 60612, USA; (S.M.B.); (Z.A.); (M.J.A.); (M.G.)
| | - Mahmood Ghassemi
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL 60612, USA; (S.M.B.); (Z.A.); (M.J.A.); (M.G.)
| | - Ali R. Djalilian
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL 60612, USA; (S.M.B.); (Z.A.); (M.J.A.); (M.G.)
- Cornea Service, Stem Cell Therapy and Corneal Tissue Engineering Laboratory, Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary, 1855 W. Taylor Street, M/C 648, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
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Zhang C, Xiao J, Fa L, Jiang F, Jiang H, Zhou L, Xu Z. Advances in the applications of mesenchymal stem cell-conditioned medium in ocular diseases. Exp Eye Res 2023:109560. [PMID: 37385531 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2023.109560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 05/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
Mesenchymal stem cell-conditioned medium (MSC-CM), also known as secretome, is secreted by MSC and contains a variety of bioactive factors with anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, neuroprotection, and proliferation effects. Increasing evidence proved that MSC-CM plays an important role in various diseases, including skin, bone, muscle, and dental diseases. However, the role of MSC-CM in ocular diseases is not quite clear, Therefore, this article reviewed the composition, biological functions, preparation, and characterization of MSC-CM and summarized current research advances in different sources of MSC-CM in corneal and retinal diseases, including dry eye, corneal epithelial damage, chemical corneal injury, retinitis pigmentosa (RP), anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (AION), diabetic retinopathy (DR), and other retinal degenerative changes. For these diseases, MSC-CM can promote cell proliferation, reduce inflammation and vascular leakage, inhibit retinal cell degeneration and apoptosis, protect corneal and retinal structures, and further improves visual function. Hence, we summarize the production, composition and biological functions of MSC-CM and focus on describing its mechanisms in the treatment of ocular diseases. Furthermore, we look at the unexplored mechanisms and further research directions for MSC-CM based therapy in ocular diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun Zhang
- Department of Ophthalmology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Jing Xiao
- Department of Ophthalmology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Luzhong Fa
- Department of Ophthalmology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Fanwen Jiang
- Department of Ophthalmology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Hui Jiang
- Department of Ophthalmology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Lin Zhou
- Department of Ophthalmology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Zhuping Xu
- Department of Ophthalmology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China.
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Bosholm CC, Zhu H, Yu P, Cheng K, Murphy SV, McNutt PM, Zhang Y. Therapeutic Benefits of Stem Cells and Exosomes for Sulfur-Mustard-Induced Tissue Damage. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:9947. [PMID: 37373093 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24129947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Sulfur mustard (SM) is a highly toxic chemical agent that causes severe tissue damage, particularly to the eyes, lungs, and skin. Despite advances in treatment, there is a need for more effective therapies for SM-induced tissue injury. Stem cell and exosome therapies are emerging as promising approaches for tissue repair and regeneration. Stem cells can differentiate into multiple cell types and promote tissue regeneration, while exosomes are small vesicles that can deliver therapeutic cargo to target cells. Several preclinical studies demonstrated the potential of stem cell, exosome, or combination therapy for various tissue injury, showing improvements in tissue repairing, inflammation, and fibrosis. However, there are also challenges associated with these therapies, such as the requirement for standardized methods for exosome isolation and characterization, the long-term safety and efficacy and reduced SM-induced tissue injury of these therapies. Stem cell or exosome therapy was used for SM-induced eye and lung injury. Despite the limited data on the use for SM-induced skin injury, this therapy is a promising area of research and may offer new treatment options in the future. In this review, we focused on optimizing these therapies, evaluating their safety and efficacy, and comparing their efficacy to other emerging therapeutic approaches potentially for SM-induced tissue injury in the eye, lung, and skin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carol Christine Bosholm
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest University Health Sciences, Winston-Salem, NC 27101, USA
| | - Hainan Zhu
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest University Health Sciences, Winston-Salem, NC 27101, USA
| | - Pengfei Yu
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest University Health Sciences, Winston-Salem, NC 27101, USA
| | - Kun Cheng
- Division of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Missouri-Kansas City, 2464 Charlotte Street, Kansas City, MO 64108, USA
| | - Sean Vincent Murphy
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest University Health Sciences, Winston-Salem, NC 27101, USA
| | - Patrick Michael McNutt
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest University Health Sciences, Winston-Salem, NC 27101, USA
| | - Yuanyuan Zhang
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest University Health Sciences, Winston-Salem, NC 27101, USA
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An S, Anwar K, Ashraf M, Lee H, Jung R, Koganti R, Ghassemi M, Djalilian AR. Wound-Healing Effects of Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Secretome in the Cornea and the Role of Exosomes. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:1486. [PMID: 37242728 PMCID: PMC10221647 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15051486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (MSCs) and their secreted factors have been shown to have immunomodulatory and regenerative effects. In this study, we investigated human bone-marrow-derived MSC secretome (MSC-S) for the treatment of corneal epithelial wounds. Specifically, we evaluated the role of MSC extracellular vesicles (EV)/exosomes in mediating the wound-healing effects of the MSC-S. In vitro studies using human corneal epithelial cells showed that MSC-CM increased cell proliferation in HCEC and HCLE cells, while EV-depleted MSC-CM showed lower cell proliferation in both cell lines compared to the MSC-CM group. In vitro and in vivo experiments revealed that 1X MSC-S consistently promoted wound healing more effectively than 0.5X MSC-S, and MSC-CM promoted wound healing in a dose-dependent manner, while exosome deprivation delayed wound healing. We further evaluated the incubation period of MSC-CM on corneal wound healing and showed that MSC-S collected for 72 h is more effective than MSC-S collected for 48 h. Finally, we evaluated the stability of MSC-S under different storage conditions and found that after one cycle of freeze-thawing, MSC-S is stable at 4 °C for up to 4 weeks. Collectively, we identified the following: (i) MSC-EV/Exo as the active ingredient in MSC-S that mediates the wound-healing effects in the corneal epithelium, providing a measure to optimize its dosing for a potential clinical product; (ii) Treatment with EV/Exo-containing MSC-S resulted in an improved corneal barrier and decreased corneal haze/edema relative to EV/Exo-depleted MSC-S; (iii) The stability of MSC-CM for up to 4 weeks showed that the regular storage condition did not significantly impact its stability and therapeutic functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seungwon An
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA; (K.A.); (M.A.); (H.L.); (R.J.); (R.K.); (M.G.)
| | - Khandaker Anwar
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA; (K.A.); (M.A.); (H.L.); (R.J.); (R.K.); (M.G.)
| | - Mohammadjavad Ashraf
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA; (K.A.); (M.A.); (H.L.); (R.J.); (R.K.); (M.G.)
- Department of Pathology, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz 71348-14336, Iran
| | - Hyungjo Lee
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA; (K.A.); (M.A.); (H.L.); (R.J.); (R.K.); (M.G.)
| | - Rebecca Jung
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA; (K.A.); (M.A.); (H.L.); (R.J.); (R.K.); (M.G.)
| | - Raghuram Koganti
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA; (K.A.); (M.A.); (H.L.); (R.J.); (R.K.); (M.G.)
| | - Mahmood Ghassemi
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA; (K.A.); (M.A.); (H.L.); (R.J.); (R.K.); (M.G.)
| | - Ali R. Djalilian
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA; (K.A.); (M.A.); (H.L.); (R.J.); (R.K.); (M.G.)
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Alemi H, Dehghani S, Musayeva A, Nadari A, Narimatsu A, Sharifi S, Forouzanfar K, Wang S, Dohlman TH, Yin J, Chen Y, Dana R. Insights into mustard gas keratopathy: Characterizing corneal layer-specific changes in mice exposed to nitrogen mustard. Exp Eye Res 2023:109495. [PMID: 37142048 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2023.109495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to mustard agents, such as sulfur mustard (SM) and nitrogen mustard (NM), often results in ocular surface damage. This can lead to the emergence of various corneal disorders that are collectively referred to as mustard gas keratopathy (MGK). In this study, we aimed to develop a mouse model of MGK by using ocular NM exposure, and describe the subsequent structural changes analyzed across the different layers of the cornea. A 3 μL solution of 0.25 mg/mL NM was applied to the center of the cornea via a 2-mm filter paper for 5 min. Mice were evaluated prior to and after exposure on days 1 and 3, and weekly for 4 weeks using slit lamp examination with fluorescein staining. Anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) and in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM) tracked changes in the epithelium, stroma, and endothelium of the cornea. Histologic evaluation and immunostaining were used to examine corneal cross-sections collected at the completion of follow-up. A biphasic ocular injury was observed in mice exposed to NM, most prominent in the corneal epithelium and anterior stroma. Following exposure, mice experienced central corneal epithelial erosions and thinning, accompanied by a decreased number of nerve branches in the subbasal plexus and increased activated keratocytes in the stroma. The epithelium was recovered by day 3, followed by exacerbated punctuate erosions alongside persistent stromal edema that arose and continued onward to four weeks post-exposure. The endothelial cell density was reduced on the first day after NM exposure, which persisted until the end of follow-up, along with increased polymegethism and pleomorphism. Microstructural changes in the central cornea at this time included dysmorphic basal epithelial cells, and in the limbal cornea included decreased cellular layers and p63+ area, along with increased DNA oxidization. We present a mouse model of MGK using NM that successfully replicates ocular injury caused by SM in humans who have been exposed to mustard gas. Our research suggests DNA oxidation contributes to the long-term effects of nitrogen mustard on limbal stem cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamid Alemi
- Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Shima Dehghani
- Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Aytan Musayeva
- Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Amirreza Nadari
- Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Akitomo Narimatsu
- Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sina Sharifi
- Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Katayoun Forouzanfar
- Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Shudan Wang
- Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Thomas H Dohlman
- Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jia Yin
- Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yihe Chen
- Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Reza Dana
- Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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